Vin Diesel Teases ‘Genius’ Plan For Black Bolt & Inhumans

Rumors last week claimed Marvel Studios was ready to pass on their planned 2019 Inhumans movie but insiders confirmed that the opposite is true. The super-powered and highly secretive royal family, infused with superpowers thanks to their alien-enhanced DNA, are a big part of the long-term future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Outside of a 2019 release date at the end of MCU’s Phase 3, after the two-part Avengers: Infinity War, no official details have been released by Marvel about the project. All we know is that actor Vin Diesel has been seemingly discussing the project with Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige for well over two years.

It began at Comic-Con 2013 where Vin Diesel began opening dropping hints that he’s been meeting with Marvel about a project that would come out years later, one that would be a part of Phase 3. He described it as a “fresh IP” but the fan response from his world’s largest Facebook following demanded something sooner. That’s where Diesel’s role as the voice of Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy came in. Even when we were on set of Guardians, Diesel wasn’t officially signed but was acting as if it was a done deal. Of course, he did eventually officially join and voiced the role to perfection just like he did many years ago as The Iron Giant.

All signs pointed to this other mystery project Diesel was in talks for being Inhumans, as he even described it as something that could bridge two universes together. For us, that mean the Inhumans would help merge the Earthbound stories of The Avengers and the cosmic Guardians of the Galaxy. A year later, he dropped this hint:

Fast forward to this week with Vin promoting his next film, The Last Witch Hunter, and the actor can’t avoid Marvel-related questions. He now specifies his Marvel other role could be a non-speaking part, one that focuses on his physical presence, basically confirming that he’s in talks for the role of Black Bolt, leader of the Inhumans who cannot speak for his power is vocal chords that can wipe out a mountain with a whisper.

Does Marvel want Vin Diesel to play Black Bolt in Inhumans?

Picking up on that, IGN asked Diesel to do an impression of playing Black Bolt, to which he humorously did before dropping his knowledge of Marvel lore:

“When Kevin Feige started talking to me about… who would ever think? A voice for one thing and presence for another would be pretty genius – it’d be pretty genius. Whenever my father sends me an email, at the end of it he says ‘stay human’ – and it’s cool and beautiful, but what is he really trying to say. Is he trying to say I’ve been affected by Terrigen Mist? Does he want to cocoon me again?”

We don’t know if Vin Diesel has signed with Marvel Studios for additional projects beyond his obligation for Guardians of the Galaxy sequels but we do know he is indeed chatting with Marvel. Him talking as if he has the part can’t be something Marvel is too happy about even if it is free promotion and buzz because we know he did that a lot way before he signed on to voice Groot.

With his following though and his profile as the star of the Fast & Furious franchise we have no doubt he can play a part if he wants and if it works for Marvel. And if it’s not Black Bolt, Diesel can still play the strong and silent type as the Inhumans’ muscle Gorgon.

Captain America: Civil War will release on May 6, 2016, followed by Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man – July 28, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – March 8, 2019; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on May 1, July 10 and November 6, 2020.